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Summary
Mexico is Latin America's second largest fertilizer market after Brazil. Domestic fertilizer production and fast-growing imports support a large and diverse agricultural sector.Abstract
Agricultural diversity With a large land mass and a diverse range of climates, Mexico is well-suited to large-scale agricultural production. Around 16 million hectares of arable land – out of the total of 23 million hectares available – is currently cultivated. Just four crops – corn, sorghum, beans and oats – account for around two thirds of the land area under cultivation (Figure 1). Roughly 80 percent of the country’s agricultural is rain-fed, rather than irrigated, and therefore more reliant on seasonal rainfall. Keywords: Country report, Mexico, Mexican, Latin America, Agriculture, Crops, Fertilizers, Supply, Demand, Imports, Importers, Distributors, Distribution, Exports, Production, Producers, Consumption, Phosphates, Potash, Nitrogen, Urea, Ammonium sulphate, AS, Diammonium phosphate, DAP, Monoammonium phosphate, MAP, Anacofer, Agrocolmex, Pemex, Fertinal, ProAgro, Coatzacoalcos, Fertiquim, Innovación Agrícola, ISAOSA, Npk Soluciones, Pacifex Fertilizantes, Seferssa, Tepeyac, TomcompanySummary
In an exclusive interview, we talk to Gustavo Vasques, the president of Produquímica, Brazil's leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty plant nutrient products.Abstract
Right place, right time When Gustavo Vasques was appointed company president at Produquímica, Brazil’s leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty plant nutrients, he knew he was in the right place at the right time. Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Produquímica had recently been purchased by Compass Minerals, as part of an ambitious plan to expand its agriculture business throughout the Americas. Keywords: Interview, Produquímica, Mergers, Acquisitions, Compass Minerals, United States, North America, Latin America, South America, Brazil, MicroActive, Protassium+, Wolf Trax, InnovationSummary
Nutrients supplied by fertilizers are a key influence on the quality of coffee beans, explains, Lino Furia, Latin America regional agronomist for Sirius Minerals. By affecting valued attributes such as flavour and aroma, crop fertilization can have a big impact on coffee's market worth.Abstract
Coffee, the world’s most widely-consumed beverage and a key agricultural export commodity, is grown in more than 70 countries globally. South and Central America contribute more than 58 percent to total world coffee production, delivering some 158 million 60 kg-size bags of coffee annually. Keywords: Crop nutrition, Agronomy, Latin America, Brazil, Coffee, Production, Yield, Quality, Fertilizers, Fertilization, Polyhalite, POLY4, Sirius Minerals, Potassium, Sulphur, Calcium, Magnesium, Potash, MOP, Muriate of potash, Lime, Sulphate, RootsSummary
Coffee, the world's most widely consumed beverage and a key agricultural export commodity, is grown in more than 70 countries globally. Nutrients supplied by fertilizers are a key influence on marketable characteristics such as flavour and aroma.Abstract
The berries produced by several widely-grown species of the genus Coffea are harvested for their commercially valuable coffee beans (seeds). These small bush-like evergreen plants prefer to grow in deep, well-drained, slightly acid, organic-rich loamy soils. Coffee is the most popular beverage in the world, with over two billion cups consumed every day. Today, coffee is cultivated in over 70 countries across the globe. Keywords: Crop nutrition, Robusta, Arabica, Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, Ethiopia, India, Uganda, Peru, Mexico, Quality, Taste , Aroma, Nutrients, Fertilizers, Fertilisation, Phosphorus, Phosphates, Potash, Magnesium, Calcium, Sulphur, Nitrogen, Micronutrients, Boron, Zinc, SOP, Sulphate of potash, Muriate of potash, MOP, Polyhalite, Yara International, Tessenderlo Kerley International, GranuPotasse, SoluPotasse, K-Leaf, ICL, Polysulphate, Borax, Granubor, Solubor, Omex, CalMax, K+S, ESTA Kieserit, Mosaic, K-Mag, SQM, Ultrasol, Produquímica, SUPERASummary
Cash-settled swaps, a type of derivative contract, can be an effective way of managing price risk in volatile, large-volume commodity markets such as fertilizers. We take a look at the growing fertilizer swaps market and its attractions to both buyers and sellers.Abstract
Price volatility is a recognised feature of the fertilizer market. This inevitably exposes fertilizer buyers and sellers to price risk. For a number of years now, forward price agreements have been offered by the derivatives market to help avoid and reduce price exposure. These allow sellers and buyers to agree on a future price for commodity fertilizers as part of so-called ‘cash-settled swaps’. Keywords: Fertilizers swaps, Swaps, Cash settled swaps, Derivatives, Futures, Hedging, Trade, Trading, Traders, Prices, Spot price, Price volatility, CME Group, Freight Investor Services, FIS, Direct Hedge, CRU, Fertecon, Argus, Profercy, ICIS, Urea, Phosphates, Diammonium phosphate, DAP, Urea ammonium nitrateSummary
The fertilizer industry needs to create a new generation of 'NPK-premium' compound fertilizers, rgues Jordi Bru, to offer farmers the completely balanced crop nutrition products they require.Abstract
Food security is one of today’s largest global challenges. With growing populations and changing weather patterns, we need to increase crop productivity, if we want to have a sustainable world. Society and industry have the opportunity to collaborate in order to solve this problem. The fertilizer industry has a responsibility to provide economically-sustainable solutions that maximize productivity without negatively impacting the environment. Keywords: Industry view, Crop nutrition, Borax, NPK, NPKs, Micronutrients, Nutrients, Secondary, Major , Balanced fertilization, Boron, Zinc, Magnesium, Sulphur, Valued added, Premium, FertilizersSummary
What are the best types of vacuum filtration equipment for phosphoric acid production plants? We explore the options available from manufacturers Andritz, FLSmidth, Hasler Group, Prayon, Technip, Tenova and WesTech.Abstract
Thickening and clarification steps are integral to the phosphoric acid production process. In phosphoric acid plants, thickeners are used to concentrate phosphate rock slurry prior to the reactor stage, while clarifiers remove fine gypsum from the phosphoric acid product, typically by vacuum filtration. Keywords: Phosphates technology, Filtration equipment, Andritz, FLSmidth, Hasler, Filtres Philippe, Prayon, Profile, Technip, UEGO, Tenova, Delkor, WesTech, Phosphates, Phosphoric acid, Production, Vacuum filtration, Table filters, Tilting pan filters, Horizontal belt filters, Gypsum, Phosphogypsum, PGSummary
Tanja Schaaf and Andreas Orth of Outotec, and Proman Consulting's Ludwig Hermann, introduce a newly-developed thermal process for cadmium removal, and explain the wider policy context in Europe.Abstract
Proposed EU legislation Acting on major health and environmental concerns, the European Commission is proposing to drastically decrease cadmium limits for mineral fertilizers in its draft regulation for fertilising products. This was published in 2016 as part the European Commission’s Circular Economy Package. Under the Commission’s proposals, limits would begin at 60 mg Cd/kg P2O5 but eventually fall to 20 mg Cd/kg P2O5 or below, 12 years after enforcement began. Keywords: Decadmiation, Cadmium removal, Thermal, Calcination, Phosphate rock, Outotec, EU, Legislation, Regulation, Cadmium limitsSummary
Our US correspondent Mark Evans reports on the 33rd Annual FLSME Regional Mining Conference, 3-4 October, Lakeland, Florida.Abstract
Sharing the message in Lakeland Hosting its 33rd annual conference, the Florida Section of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (FLSME) joined forces with the American Institute for Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) and the Association of Fertilizer and Phosphate Chemists (AFPC). The venue was the RP Funding Center, Lakeland, in the historic heartland of Florida’s phosphate mining and processing industry, and today a centre of excellence for industry technology and research. The theme of the two-day meeting between 3-4 October was ‘Share the Message’. Keywords: Conference report, SME, Lakeland, FLSME, Conference, Florida, Phosphates, Markets, Geology, Mining, Processing, Beneficiation, Production, Technology, InnovationSummary
Abstract
UK company Sirius Minerals is bringing a new multi-nutrient polyhalite fertilizer product to market. The polyhalite will be extracted at the under-construction Woodsmith Mine, near the town of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England, and sold to customers around the world under the name POLY4. Keywords: Project listing, Potash, Projects, Greenfield, Brownfield, Expansions, Muriate of potash, MOP, Sulphate of potash, SOP, PolyhaliteSummary
When it comes to fertigation, the quality of water-soluble potassium sulphate (SOP) is of paramount importance. But how is quality best defined and measured? Nicolas White, portfolio and knowledge director at Tessenderlo Kerley International, outlines a unique quality index (QI) system for water-soluble SOP.Abstract
Quality: more important than price? The selection of SOP products for fertigation is often driven by price. The product’s characteristics and its various benefits and disadvantages are either not taken into account or are secondary considerations. Keywords: Water soluble fertilizers , Sulphate of potash, SOP, Chemical properties, Physical properties, Quality, Fertigation, Drip irrigation, Tessenderlo Kerley International, SoluPotasse, Solubility, Dissolution, Dust, Potassium, Chloride, pH